Touch Me Like You Do
by prettypinklips
Summary: Klaus, an Incubus, accidentally blood-shares with Caroline, forging a bond between them that borders on obsession. Klaus/Caroline, AU. Rated M.
1. Infection

Hey everyone!

This is the new and improved version of Touch Me Like You Do. I'm very happy with it and I hope you guys are as well. I decided to scrap everything and start over so the chapter below is brand new. There are changes, but mostly minor as we weren't that far into the story to begin with. I have also made this story M rated. I wasn't going to originally but I felt like it would be lacking something if I didn't. Another change is that every other chapter is going to be from Klaus' pov.

Thank you all for your patience. Let me know if you enjoyed!

* * *

 _"You're the light, you're the night_

 _You're the color of my blood_

 _You're the cure, you're the pain_

 _You're the only thing I wanna touch"_

\- Love Me Like You Do, Ellie Goulding

~.~

 _Part One - Infection_

(Klaus)

He has quite the menu in front of him tonight, each figure in front of him a delicacy. They dance unwittingly, feverish heat wafting off of their bodies. The hunt is on as he observes each of the women around him.

Klaus hasn't fed in three days. The woman he chose tonight would have to be better than all others. Only the most perfect would do.

The night club is packed wall to wall, scantily clad young ladies and men winding together on the dance floor. He can feel their lust pulsating through the room. He can almost taste it on the tip of his tongue. His presence alone has already amped up the crowd. He has always enjoyed making them feel it, everything he could feel, every ounce of lust dripping from each of these mortals combined into one.

He scans the crowd again, eyes fixating on a particularly fine specimen. She's dancing alone, but that's not to say that she's not being admired. Men dancing around her with only one thing in their eyes. Not if he could help it. She was going to be leaving with him. He knows immediately as she turns in her dancing, winding in a circle.

She is blonde and gorgeous and her lightly tanned skin glows under the neon colored strobe-lights. Sweat glistens on her forehead and her dark blue dress cuts her figure in the most perfect way. He licks his lips. She is definitely the one tonight.

He watches her for awhile, checks to see that she's here alone, that she won't be missed when she leaves with him. The more he watches her, the more he wants her. She seemed carefree, _fun._ Her hair whips around her as she spins, and giggling, she bunches it up in a pile on the top of her head, forming quite the adorable up-do.

She's done dancing now, and she approaches the bar. She asks for a beer and sits down when the bartender slides it over to her. She is quiet, and seemingly unaware of how every man around them keeps stealing glances at her. He has to make his move before someone else does, not that there would ever be any competition.

He gets up from his seat, moves fluidly towards her. "You look beautiful tonight." He says in her ear, leaning down. He runs a finger down the dress strap on her shoulder. She smells sweet; strawberries and sweat.

She jumps in her seat, whipping around. She looks furious as she turns, and she growls, "Not interested, creep." but her eyes widen and her pupils dialate as she takes him in, her frown immediately replaced by a dreamy smile.

"Thank you." She sighs, changing her tune, already enchanted. She stands, her eyes never leaving his. He touches her arm and she instantly comes forward, their chests brushing. Her blue eyes are wild and so very inviting. He could eat her up. He could take her right here.

She is blushing, biting her lip and tilting her head. He's had his fair-share of beautiful women, each as unique as the last, but he can't deny that there is something charming about this one, something different about her.

"What's your name?" He asks, pressing his body closer to hers. The contact sends a thrill through him. She's mouthwatering and he needs a taste _now_.

"Caroline." She whispers. She grows more entranced by the minute. He can make her do anything he wants.

"Will you come with me, Caroline?" He touches her cheek and her eyes snap shut. She turns her face into his hand, breathing a fan of hot air across his palm.

"Where?" She breathes.

* * *

He backs her against the wall in the alley behind the club.

She's giggling and clinging to him, his presence intoxicating her more than the alcohol she'd consumed. He laughs at her laugh. He's quite enjoying this one.

Caroline's fingers dig into his shoulders as his lips connect with her throat. Most women crumble beneath him with one brush of his lips, but she holds steadfast, head falling backwards against the alley wall. He kisses down her throat, wrapping his hands around her waist. She surprises him when she grips his face, yanking it to hers. Their mouths collide with a clink of teeth, and then it's almost too much for him to bear.

"I'm taking you home." He growls into her ear and she laughs breathlessly, nodding. _Yes_. He can tell that she is special, that a quick fuck in the alley to quench his hunger will not do her any justice. He's planning on hours with her, maybe days.

He rips away from her, grabs her hand as she whines in protest. "What's your name?" She asks softly, curiously, touching her lips with the fingers he doesn't have wrapped in his own, and he bets she's never tasted anything like him before.

"Klaus." He answers, carting her towards his car. He opens the door for her, buckles her in. He kisses her again before he shuts the door.

"That's a nice name." She tells him once he climbs into the driver's side. Her smile shines bright and he presses hard on the gas. No time to waste.

* * *

He drives them to a hotel where he keeps a permanent suite for his lovers.

She grabs his hand excitedly as he opens her door, drags him to the stairs. He smacks her ass as she runs up the steps and she glares back at him, playful edge in the smirk she gives him. He moves up the stairs past her, leading the way. Her heels click behind him.

Her lust sets a fire in him, he can only imagine what his does to her. It feels like the air around them could implode on them at any second.

She's at his back as he digs in his pockets for his room key, her fingers dancing at his belt-buckle, lips at his neck. He can smell the alcohol on her breath, and a little guilty, he remembers that she was probably slightly intoxicated. Usually he would stay away if the woman of his choosing had drank too much. His gifts hindered their thinking enough without alcohol added to the mix, but the second he'd seen Caroline, he had to have her. It was too late now, he wouldn't be able to turn her away if he wanted to. He needed her.

He gets the door open, pulls her inside. She kicks off her shoes, pulls her hair down from the messy bun she'd been sporting as she'd danced. Her hair curls around her shoulders, and she's even more angelic than before.

Klaus makes quick work of her clothes, unzipping her dress. He swallows when the zipper slides past where her bra strap should be, only to reveal creamy and soft bare skin. He hopes she's gone commando as well.

She shimmies out of her dress, the blue garment pooling around her bright pink toes. She turns around, in nothing but her sheer white lace panties. She is perfect and he tells her so, grinning when she flushes from her cheeks to her toes.

He shoves her backwards onto the bed, shrugging out of his leather jacket. She scoots back, lying on the pillow, blonde curls spilling around her. He can't wait any longer. He strips himself to nothing, climbs onto the bed after her. He can feel the heat cooling in her belly as he advances on her.

Klaus rips her panties from her body, smiling when she gasps in surprise, her eyes widening in excitement. He braces his hands on her knees, spreading her legs.

Her teeth dig into her lower lip and her eyes are hooded slits as she looks up at him. She whines when he draws the tip of his finger between the valley of her breasts to her belly button. "Come on." she urges, lifting her hips off of the bed. He chuckles under his breath, grips her hips in his hands. Her desire seeps into him, makes him hungrier as he looks at her.

"How do you want it?" He asks in a teasing tone as she growls, trying to work her body closer to his. He holds her hips down with one hand, the other hand closing over her breast. He pinches her nipple and she gasps. "You like it rough, don't you, Caroline?" He realizes, unable to keep his grin at bay. His cock twitches at the thought.

She whimpers in answer, and he can feel her desperation. With a swift thrust, he is all the way inside of her. She gasps, her walls fluttering and stretching. She gives a contented sigh a moment later as she relaxes around him, her hands coming around to rest on his lower back.

He starts slow, wanting to enjoy the feel of her body. Her legs wrap around him, and he can feel the sharp bone of her pelvis grinding into his. He grabs onto a chunk of her hair, yanking her head back. She gasps his name, breathless, and he can't hold himself back any longer. He digs his teeth into her throat, sucking her pulse point as he slides in and out of her. He can feel her pulse flying a mile a minute under his tongue.

Caroline's nails latch onto his back, raking all the way down. He growls against her neck, slams into her hard. Again and again. He can feel her tightening around him, can hear her breath coming in short little gasps. She's clutching at his hair now, digging her heels into his ass, urging him on. She's close.

He sits back on his knees, bringing her with him. He lifts her up and down, dropping her down onto him hard. She's panting, fingers grappling at his shoulders. " _Oh,_ " she moans in his ear, "I'm gonna-oh my god." She nips the shell of his ear with her teeth and it sends him tipping right over the edge, his nails digging into the flesh on her hips.

She cums hard around him, and he grips her face with one hand, turning her agape mouth towards his. He knows that his normally sea blue eyes have turned black as night, and her eyes widen as she notices. It's the first time she has been afraid since they'd met an hour before. He kisses her, sucks everything out of her. She whimpers and grows limp in his arms.

Her life force leaves her, the blue stream of her energy seeping from her mouth and into his. He drains her dry as her orgasm winds down, and she grows limp on top of him. He is careful not to take too much from her.

"Wha-" she tries to speak, but he presses a finger to her lips. He gently lays her back down on the pillows. He falls beside her, breathing heavily. She stares at him, whispers, "What was that?"

"Nevermind that, darling." He says assuredly, patting her naked thigh. She has completely satisfied him. He feels full. He feels good. Like he could do anything.

Caroline looks like she wants to say something else, but he rolls on top of her, hooks his arms under her thighs. "Let me take care of you." He murmurs, fitting snug inside of her. She nods, eyes glazing over.

Much, much later Klaus lifts his head from between her legs, looks up at her as he licks the taste of her from his lips. She's biting her lip and gripping the sheets but her eyelids are growing heavy. He kisses the inside of her thigh before he relcutantly pulls his body away from hers. He'd been amped up from the feed and had temporarily forgotten that she couldn't go for hours and hours and hours like he could.

She complains unintelligably as he pulls away, her hand flying out to him. He catches it, tucks it beside her.

"Shhh. You need to rest now." He murmurs softly. She nods. "Sleep." He repeats. She falls asleep at his command, and he pulls the sheets up over her naked body. She snores lightly as he tucks the sheets around her body.

Klaus dresses quickly, keen to leave before she wakes up. She won't remember a thing other than the fact that she had left the club with a stranger. She would go on with her life, never remembering the best sex she'd ever have. He pauses at the door, looks back at her once more.

Not for the first time, he wishes that he could stay. He takes woman after woman after woman for no reason other than he has to feed. He has never been in love, will never be in love. If he stayed here with her for one more second he would never go.

She, like all the other women he'd bedded, deserved a man that was theirs and only theirs. That cared for more than lust.

Caroline mumbles something in her sleep and he tries to stop the smile from breaking across his face. She was a curious thing. He could stay, he could get to know her more. But that life wasn't for him.

He has already wandered the world alone for five hundred years, and he would be alone for five hundred more. He would never be monogamous, he could never be a good man for her, he could never be a good man for any woman.

With a pained sigh, he forces himself to shut the door and walk away from her.

As an Incubus he craved sexual pleasure; he craved giving it, craved getting it. As a man he craved company, someone to stay after the sex, after the pleasure. It seemed a far away notion, one that would never be within his reach.

He drives away from the hotel, towards his loft in the heart of the city.

Once inside his apartment, he jumps into the shower. He washes Caroline away, his head filled with her all the while. How she had clenched around him. How she had giggled in his ear. _That's a nice name._

He's rubbing shampoo into his hair when his back starts to sting. He clenches his jaw against the pain. He opens the shower curtain, wraps a towel around his waist. Looking over his shoulder in the mirror, he spies six long scratches going down either side of his back, dried blood at the edges. He feels her nails raking down his back as if she was there with him.

And then, his ears start to ring. He's back in the hotel, overlooking Caroline as she sleeps. She stretches in her sleep, arms raised above her head. The sheet slips down her body, pooling at her waist. She sighs, mumbling something under her breath. He tears his eyes away from her fantastic figure, listens intently as she mumbles again.

She's saying his name. He doesn't know why he suddenly feels so elated. Like he never wants to leave her side again. Like she's everything-

Horror curls in his stomach as he realizes exactly what's going on, a sickening feeling as Caroline disappears, replaced by his bathroom. He can already feel the changes; her in his head, everywhere. Now he understands why he hadn't wanted to leave her, why he'd spent the last hour thinking about _love_ of all the damn things.

Crestfallen, he hangs his head. How could he have let this happen? Things were going to get very messy indeed when Caroline woke up.

~.~

 **Up Next: Part Two - Blood Work**


	2. Blood Work

_"I heard_

 _That you've been out and about with some other girl_

 _Some other girl_

 _He said what you heard is true,_

 _but I can't stop thinking about you_

 _I say I've been there too a few times"_

\- Style, Taylor Swift

~.~

 _Part Two - Blood Work_

(Caroline)

Caroline wakes to the early morning sun cascading over her skin. She is warm, inside and out. She's never woken up feeling so good before.

She stretches her arms above her head, yawning. It's only then that she realizes she's naked. She sits upright, gathers the sheets around her body. Her head spins with a hangover, making her feel sick.

She's in a hotel room, her purse and clothes scattered around the bed. She gingerly stands, picks her underwear up off of the lampshade. What the hell?

Caroline slips her underwear on, searches for her dress and shoes. She has no idea how she'd gotten here. Has no idea who she'd been with last night. The last thing she can remember clearly is the nightclub. She'd gone after work, ready to wind down with some drinks and dancing. She remembers dancing, getting some drinks, and then nothing.

"Way to go, Forbes." Caroline sighs, wiggling into her dress. She's never had a one night stand before. She wishes she could remember what the hell had happened. Or at least remember who she'd been with.

Fixing her sunglasses on, she opens the door, pokes her head out. Thankfully, her apartment is just a few blocks away from the hotel her mystery man had taken her to.

Let the walk of shame begin.

* * *

Later that night, she soaks in a bubble bath.

Head falling back against the cold tile, she tries for the fiftieth time that day to remember the night before. To no avail. It's like her mind was personally blocking her, blackness where the memories should be.

Suddenly, Caroline feels a knot form in her stomach, coiling tightly. Her throat closes, making it hard to breathe. Her head grows cloudy, a lilting voice whispering in her ear. "Come to me," it tells her, and she shivers. No one is beside her, but she feels warm breath fanning across her cheek.

Her stomach feels sick, and she crawls from the tub to the toilet, resting her head on the rim. Dimly, in the back of her mind, she can make out a man, fair haired and handsome. It feels like she knows him. Like he's part of her life.

She can feel his fingers on her skin, lips at her ear. Can feel him as if he was there beside her.

Caroline's ears start to ring painfully. Heat explodes around her and she can't see her bathroom walls anymore. All she can see is the back of the blonde man's head, his fingers skating up a unrecognizable woman's leg. Her blood boils, and she feels like a jealous girlfriend.

But why?

Standing on shaking legs, hands braced against the wall, she's assaulted with more visions. This time, the woman and man are in a bathroom stall. He's pushing her dress up her thighs, kissing her neck.

Caroline falls against the wall, head exploding with pain. Her heart feels heavy in her chest. She can barely stand. Head spinning, she makes it to her bed, pulling the covers up. She presses her face into the pillow, tears slipping down her cheeks. It's the most painful thing she's ever experienced.

She's getting flashes of his lips kissing her, then kissing the other woman. She knows he's the same guy from the night before. He feels familiar. But what she can't figure out if why the hell she's having creepy visions of him and another woman. Or why she's so angry about it.

They've moved past kissing, the woman's dress bunched around her hips. Anxiety pools in her belly. She's about to have a meltdown over this random guy.

And then just as suddenly as the heat had taken her over, it's gone. The man pulls his head away from the woman's neck, tilts his own head to the side. He then shoos the woman away, straightening his leather jacket.

He turns, his eyes meeting hers. A wicked grin takes over his face. She knows she should be afraid, but all she can feel when she looks at him is fire igniting in her belly.

"See you soon, love." He says. To her, maybe.

And then he's gone, and she's back in her bed.

She doesn't know why his words had sounded like a command. Like the inevitable.

* * *

Over the course of the next few days, she has visions of the same man with multiple women. She sure had picked a winner.

She sees him everywhere; the library at school, work, _everywhere_. She can't get him out of her head.

Each time, it feels like her heart is caving in. She aches every day, for what she doesn't know.

Tonight, it's almost too much to bear. She needs to know what the hell is happening to her. So she waits, seated on the edge of her bed.

It doesn't take long.

The blonde man is seated at a bar, nursing a drink, smiling winningly at the dark haired girl beside him. She's giggling at whatever he's just said. Caroline seethes, red swimming across her eyes. Fury courses through her.

Before she can stop herself, she's climbing in her car and gunning for the bar. She's not sure how she knows where he is. She just does. She finds him inside easily, the same mop of blonde curls and crisp leather jacket. He's seated at the bar, fingers dancing up the woman's leg. Her brain shorts out, and she stomps forward, rips his fingers from the woman's leg.

"Get lost." Caroline snarls at the woman, who clumsily gets off the stool, scrambling away.

She turns back to the man, heart flying a mile a minute as he grins at her like he knows something she doesn't. "Something bothering you, love?" He asks, voice thick with an English accent. Her body thrums with excitement. For some reason, she can't really remember why she's angry at him-

Wait.

He's clouding up her head, but she fights through it, stomps her foot. She crosses her arms over her chest, pretends she's not dying to touch him _. God, get a grip, Caroline_. "What the hell did you do to me?" She snaps, "I see you everywhere. I think about you all day. I don't know what kind of roofies you're working with but-"

The man chuckles. "Trust me, you were a very willing participant. Have a seat, darling." He motions to the stool beside him. Immediately, she sits.

It's becoming hard to focus on anything but him; his aftershave filling her head and making her mouth water. She feels so out of control.

The man looks at her like he knows. "She'll have a vodka tonic." He tells the bartender, his eyes never wavering from her.

"How do you know what I like to drink?" Caroline asks, suspicious.

The man chuckles, "There's not a lot that I don't know about you." He admonishes. "Drink." He orders, and she does.

"Look, we need to talk. You need to tell me exactly what you did to me." She says after she drains her glass. "I'm not taking no for an answer. I know what you did wasn't human."

"You're quite the clever one, aren't you, Caroline?" He muses, smiling slightly. "Very well. Let's go then." He stands, drops a few bills on the bar.

"Where are we going?" She asks. Somehow, she knows she can trust him, that he won't hurt her.

"The hotel. You wanted an explanation, I'll give you one."

* * *

She drives them to the hotel, every nerve ending in her body on fire as he sits beside her. He doesn't say a word, just wears that knowing smirk that she's pretty sure she hates.

The hotel room looks even worse the second time around. She hadn't noticed when she'd practically ran out that morning, but the curtains and rod are on the floor, the sheets are tangled and hanging off of the bed, the rug by the door is kicked up, and there are lipstick smears across the pillows.

"Oh my god," She mumbles in embarrassment, covering her face. The man comes in behind her, and laughs.

"Looks like we had fun." He grins at her.

She scoffs, "Must not have been that great of a time if I can't remember it." She says coolly, and he looks slightly taken aback. Hah.

His eyes narrow at her, and he goes to the bed, ripping the sheets completely off. There are droplets of what looks like blood under the pillows. He sits on the bed, looking a little dejected.

"What is it?" She asks, nervous.

"Do you have a cut? A scratch, even?"

Caroline looks down at herself. She'd cut herself slicing cucumbers for her salad at lunch the day they'd met, but it wasn't a big deal. Just a little knick. "Why?" She asks.

"Because we've blood-shared." He stands up, lifts his shirt and turns around. Her cheeks flush as as she takes in two rows of nail marks, raking all the way down his back. They're mostly healed over, but they look deep. Well, she certainly must have enjoyed their rendezvous.

"And what does that mean?" She doesn't know why, but the feeling of dread creeps down her spine. Somehow she knows that after meeting him, her life is never going to be the same.

"That we're connected in the worst way." He looks mildly upset, but for some reason, as she looks at him, she can feel his heartbeat in her ear, racing. She can taste his uncertainty on her tongue. They're connected. Somehow.

"This is bad, isn't it?" She realizes.

"We need to talk, now." He replies.

~.~

 **Up Next: Part Three - Obsession**


	3. Obsession

" _Why did love put a gun in my hand?_

 _In my bed, in my head, in my hand._

 _Was it for redemption, was it for revenge_?"

\- Gun In My Hand, Dorothy

~.~

 _Part Three - Obsession_

(Klaus)

He takes her to a twenty four hour diner down the street. They slide into a booth and she orders a strawberry shake with extra whipped cream. He can't help but stare at her as she speaks to the waitress, smiling animatedly.

Perhaps she wouldn't be the worst thing that's ever happened to him.

The waitress leaves and Klaus leans across the table towards her. Her eyes bulge when he comes close, and he feels a little bad knowing she's probably having a hard time adjusting to their predicament. "Sooo..." She hedges awkwardly, tapping her fingers on the table, looking anywhere but him.

"How are you feeling?" Klaus asks. He can feel her nerves and fear, a thin veil over her desire for him.

Caroline clears her throat, "I'm fine. Just...just tell me what the hell is going on, and who the hell you are." She looks thoroughly confused, unsettled.

He's nervous to tell her, honestly. Would she run away, screaming that he was a mad man? He decides to be blunt and to the point. "My name is Klaus, I'm an Incubus that feeds on the sexual energy of others. We blood-shared, and now you're enthralled."

Caroline's mouth falls open, and she gapes for a second before she's snapping her mouth shut, glaring at him. "Are you trying to be funny?" She asks.

"I'm one hundred percent serious."

Just then, the waitress returns with Caroline's shake, sets it down in front of her. She dips her finger into the whipped cream, pops it into her mouth. His eye twitches, thinking about her with something else in her mouth. "Well, you're insane, so I'm going to finish my shake and go." She decides.

Klaus rolls his eyes, "I'll prove it to you." He says pointedly.

She lifts a brow, probably thinking that this was going to be good, but the joke was going to be on her. He reaches across the table, fingers brushing over the top of her hand. Her pupils dialiate instantly and her fingers twitch, itching to grasp at his. Her eyes meet his, blue against blue. Her lips part as she stares at him in wonder. "Kiss me." He orders gently, grinning when she instantly stands, leaning across the table, pressing her mouth to his in a soft kiss.

She tastes even better than he remembers.

Her teeth nip at his lip, and he grasps her chin, holds her face. "You can sit back down." He tells her, and she lowers herself back into her seat, cheeks flushing red. She believes him now.

"I can't believe this crap." Caroline growls, "This is going to ruin my life. How am I supposed to live normally when I can't go five seconds without wanting to stick my tongue down your throat? How do we get rid of it? I don't want to be your little minion forever."

Klaus' gaze darkens. How do they get rid of it? And what is it, exactly? A blood bond is rare, and most of his kind tried to avoid it. As far as he knows it's impossible to reverse. The thrall was the worst thing that could happen. The human would grow obsessed, and monogamy was not an Incubus' strong suit. Usually the bond drove the human mad, in the end. He didn't want to see her that way, consumed by him. He wanted her to have a nice and normal life. He wishes it hadn't been her, that it had been anyone else but her.

"I don't know." He admits, and her hopeful face falls.

"So I'm screwed then?" She drops her head onto the table, blowing out a frustrated breath. "I can't believe you did this to me."

"For what it's worth, you enjoyed it at the time." Klaus interjects, thinking about their night in the hotel room, the night she probably can't even remember.

Caroline lifts her head and glares at him. He can taste her uncertainty on the tip of his tongue. She's afraid. "Yeah, _so not helping._ "

They fall into silence, not uncomfortable on his part. He just wants to look at her. She glows from the inside out. It could be the connection, or it could just be her. He had known she was special before he'd taken her back to his room. He wants to make her feel better, he would say anything to make her smile and laugh with him like she had the first night. She grows fidgety under his stare, but he can't help it, he could look at her forever.

"I think I need some air." Caroline says, scooting out of the booth, practically running from the diner. Klaus sighs, drops a bill on the table and follows her out.

She's pacing outside, teeth worrying her lip.

Klaus watches her for a moment, tries to think of something that would make her feel better. He strides forward, grasps her shoulders. As soon as their skin touches a shock shoots up his arm, into his heart. Her eyes are wide, she felt it too. He attributes it to their blood bond, and says, "Look, just remain calm, I'll call around to my family today and see what they know about the blood-sharing. It doesn't happen very often, love, there's so much I don't even know about it."

Instantly, she calms, blue eyes mesmerized by his. He sighs, he doesn't like this fawning thing that comes with the bond. She's relaxed now, her body leaning towards him. He's struck again with how beautiful she is. He strokes his fingers over her shoulders, "Now, let me drive you home."

Caroline nods, "I'm tired." She agrees, eyes turning to look up at the night sky. He opens the passenger door for her before going around to his own side.

He drops her off at her apartment, instantly missing her presence in his passenger seat when she leaves.

* * *

Klaus returns to his own loft, sits on his couch, phone in hands. He debates on who to call. Elijah would fuss and be disappointed, Kol would be off galvanizing. Rebekah was the clear choice, she was the least judgemental out of all of his siblings. He dials her number, waits for her to answer.

She picks up on the second ring, "Nik! Where have you been?" She cries.

Guiltily, Klaus scratches at his head, "I'm staying in Chicago now."

"It's been at least a year since we've spoken, Klaus, what's-"

"Bekah, I'm actually calling because I have a bit of a problem." Klaus hedges. Silence from her end.

"What is it?" Rebekah sighs, and he can imagine her rolling her eyes on the other end of the line.

"As you know, our family has always been naturally gifted-"

"I've heard this speech from mother a hundred times already, get to the point." She interjects.

Klaus hesitates, not knowing what to say. _I slept with a girl from a nightclub and now she's in my head all day every day, I can't think of anything else._ "I-"

Rebekah speaks again, gentle this time, "Nik, you've never been this lost for words before, what's happened?"

He blows out a breath, "I've enthralled someone, purely unintentional of course, but it happened, and I-I'm not sure how to proceed."

Rebekah is silent on the other hand, and he can imagine her eyes wide, staring at the phone in her hand. "That's quite possibly the worst news ever, Klaus." She finally sighs. "You know there is no way to reverse the bond."

"There has to be something I can do." Klaus persists, "You must know _something_."

He can hear her digging around, possibly in a desk drawer. "I know a witch in New Orleans that might be able to help you, but no promises. You're playing with fire, Klaus. You know what happens to a human when the thrall consumes them."

Klaus pinches the bridge of his nose. He's trying not to think about that. "I know, Bekah. Just give me the witch's number." He writes it down as she prattles off a list of numbers.

Before he hangs up, Rebekah says, "Nik, remember that whatever you're feeling for her is because of the bond. It's not real. It can never be real. You are always going to be what you are."

Klaus thinks of Caroline, how she'd writhed under him. "I know." He says softly. He tells himself it's not real. That it's all in his head. He hangs up before she can say anything more. She would be running off to tell Elijah right away, so he shuts his phone off, not really ready to ever have that chastising conversation.

He tosses his phone away, lays back on his couch. Eyes closing, he's immediately inside of her head. She's standing before her bathroom mirror, brushing her hair. He can faintly hear music and her humming along.

He looks at her, never wants to look away.

 _It's not real._

 _It can never be real._

Klaus doesn't open his eyes for a long time.

~.~

 **Up Next: Part Four - Witching Hour**


End file.
